Page 23 of Geordie

William gives me a slight nod of understanding, before he takes a bite of his enormous sub, lettuce dangling from the bread. It’s enough for me to be honest about my intentions. “I’ve always wanted a family too. I’ve been searching for someone to share my life as well, but there’s no one at the moment.” I breathe a heavy sigh and admit something I’ve only spoken to with Lochlan. “Family is important to my clan. I don’t think my life will be complete until I have children to carry my legacy.”

Oskar gurgles softly and Tim gently strokes the baby’s back. “I’m going to put Oskar down for his nap. I’ll be right back.” He rises and walks deeper into the house, humming a tuneless song.

“Can I get you anything else while you wait?” William offers.

I shake my head. “I’m good.” We eat in companionable silence, with only the sound of Emmy talking to her stuffed animal.

Tim returns minutes later with a baby monitor. Setting it on the table, he takes his seat. “Well, at least you’re taking the first step,” his words reassuring. “Do you know what you want to do: adoption, surrogacy, fostering? These days, you have a lot of options.”

“Of course, the ideal would be to have a child with my DNA, but I’m open to adoption or fostering. I’ve only read a small amount of information on each, I’ll need someone with more knowledge to guide me through the process.”

Tim leans back in his chair, taking a sip from his bottle. “I can tell you how I approached the challenge. The first thing I did was hire an attorney. Whatever you choose,” He points a finger, still holding onto the neck of the bottle, “there will be a legal aspect to it. If you know your rights up front, it can help you decide. There is one thing I will tell you: it can be difficult for a single man to adopt a child. Some adoption agencies won’t even consider your application, and if a female is giving up her baby for adoption, it’s possible she will opt to give it to a couple rather than a single man.”

I didn’t think I would encounter prejudice because I’m single, although I understand the reasoning. “How was your son conceived?”

“After consulting with my attorney, I opted for gestation surrogacy.”

He must see my bewilderment. “I’m not familiar.”

He chuckles a bit before going on. “That means I found an egg from a donor, it was fertilized with my sperm, and then it was placed in the surrogate. Of course, there are costs associated with conceiving, the birth, and after. William says that won’t be a problem for you, but what you must prepare yourself for is the emotional toll it takes to go through the process.”

I look at William for confirmation.

“He’s right, it’s not easy. I watched him go through it. I thought there were times that he might give up, but he kept reminding himself what he would gain at the end of his struggle.”

“I was lucky,” Tim smiles like a man who’s accomplished his goals. “I found a surrogate who was married and had been a surrogate for two couples. She had a supportive environment, which helped. I don’t know what to say; it’s going to be an emotional roller coaster no matter what you do. But in the end, it’s worth it. I’d do it ten times over just to have Oskar with me.”

Chapter twelve

Hotel Izuki

Lily

We’relate.No,I’mlate. Whenever there’s a place I really don’t want to go, random things happen to prevent me from leaving. Spilled nail polish, a tear in the dress I’d planned to wear, and now I’m wearing a clingy pinky-beige sheath with a scarf and earrings.

Geordie cleans up well in slacks and a gray shirt. I’ve never seen him like this. I keep stealing glances at him, wondering if it’s the same person.

The Izuki is a beautiful, trendy hotel that sits on its own marina. I steer my SUV behind two other cars in front of the hotel to take advantage of valet parking because I don’t want Geordie to have to maneuver a parking lot. It will be enough of a walk on crutches to find the party.

We exit the vehicle and I walk to the back of the SUV. I pull a large box wrapped in neutral Winnie the Pooh paper from the trunk. Geordie is already at the curb waiting. “I didn’t know we were to bring a present. I could have sent them a case of wine to enjoy after the baby arrives.”

I tuck the box under my arm. “I looked up the etiquette for a gender-reveal party and discovered guests aren’t required to bring a gift if it isn’t a part of a baby shower. I wouldn’t expect you to give them a gift. You don’t know the couple, and I invited you.”

He arches an eyebrow while producing a rumble in his throat, objecting.

“Okay, you invited yourself. I bought a gift just in case and put both our names on the card. You owe me fifty dollars, by the way.”

“I’ll send it to you at the end of the night.” His accent is more distinct, more Scottish. “I’ll need to see the receipt and the quality of the gift to assess it’s worth before I pay. What did you buy the expecting couple?”

Ahaescapes me at his joke. “Are you trying to be a stereotype?”

He feigns offense, while the light in his blue eyes says different. “People often say of me,he kens the richt side o’ a shilling.”

“Hmm, let me guess, you know the value of money.”

“Aye, you know something of Scotland?”

“Does Scrooge McDuck count?”

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